While critics dissect the budget the main debate among punters is the issue of broken promises.

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We have arrived at the point where the most "important" and "responsible" budget in a generation (which is not said about every budget) has been stripped down to the question of what constitutes a lie.

Surely this has taken the gloss of Tony Abbott and Joe Hockey's effort to save us from pending disaster?

Being lied to really does upset the masses.

This week, with the help of resident song bird Denis Carnahan, we will investigate the issue in animation and song – and that's the truth.

10 comments so far

Preserving the DNA of Clivasaurus Rex in the hermetically controlled climate of the Australian Parliament will ensure Sir Wally Flintstone and Dino Joe are accommodated with Great Big Surprises galore and lots-n-lots of bona fide, card carrying excuses.

Commenter

Geronimo

Location

Yippee Yi Yo

Date and time

May 16, 2014, 9:56AM

Unlike Bill Shorten, a man I admire, I sincerely hope that the Liarbrel Govtwins the next two elections so as to punish the poor saps who listened to the siren call of phony Tony using the well tuned Tory method of lies and deceit.Only three years of pain and more lies would be insufficient punishment for these poor folk.

Commenter

freviss

Location

Warners Bay NSW

Date and time

May 16, 2014, 11:22AM

Surely that's a nose off to spite face job!

Commenter

Barry

Date and time

May 16, 2014, 8:07PM

Love your work Rocco. Just watched Bill Shorten's budget reply, great speech. What a farce we have in government. I note a lot of talk about Bill Shorten being negative in the papers today. I think him opposing the lies of the government is a positive thing! What about the grubby Mr Pyne and the puppet speaker! Disgraceful. And if he said grub and not the c-bomb he needs to go to pronunciation school. I am amazed that the liberal hacks can support and defend the lies and actions of this government. How dumb is the I love on party approach to political thoughts - mind boggling.

Commenter

Credlinbility

Date and time

May 16, 2014, 2:20PM

"Being lied to really does upset the masses."

This is clearly a fallacy for why is it time after time so many Pinocchios are voted into Parliament each and every election.

"Masses lying to themselves after each and every election they did not expect their politicians to lie to get into Parliament is upsetting."

“You can fool some of the people all of the time, and all of the people some of the time, but you can not fool all of the people all of the time.” ― Abraham Lincoln

“The people can fool themselves someone else is to blame all of the time, and do" - markjuliansmith

There is much debate and comment on the details of the budget and not so much scrutiny, apart from throw away lines about broken promises, of the real issue involved. The erosion of the democratic process.

We tend to joke about the truthfulness of politicians and even in recent days we see apologists suggesting that we, the public, should factor in the notion that promises will be broken. It seems to me that we should be taking a more serious view. Perhaps instead of using the debased word 'promise' more appropriate would be: firm commitment or solemn undertaking. In my estimation that is clearly, and is widely documented, how the electorate were informed on LNP policy.

That voters, especially the so called swinging voters, were unable to make an informed decision at the 2013 election is tantamount to fraud. If company directors sought to influence shareholders on the basis of such dishonesty they would be in serious trouble. Doesn't this make the Government illegitimate?

Commenter

Pejecamo

Location

Hobart

Date and time

May 17, 2014, 10:54AM

I have never joined a political party. I often wondered if I should enjoy the benefits of "mateship" - of being one of the "club", but I clung to my independence of thought/belief through my good/bad times. I am now 70 years old. The worst aspect of this election/budget is the forced realisation that IN FACT (not political rhetoric) our "democracy" is a two liar party system devoid of honour and/or principle. Real democracy is dead and the election CANNOT give any party any mandate for any policy.Lies are deceptions - untrue declarations that the liar intends us to consider - and we do consider - as real/true facts in making a decision. Voting is one such decision. In criminal law - a person/politician/party attempting to obtain an advantage (election, salary/perks) by deception is/should be, liable to go to prison. (SO important that we have an INDEPENDENT judiciary - not one appointed/influenced by politicians in a frenzy to get votes at any cost!) In Australia law compels us to vote - why? I am compelled to vote (and fined if I don't) for liars to lead/govern us? MUST I vote for a lie and/or a concealed policy? Right now "democracy" is a mere fantasy - whatever you voted for is likely to be fantasy: an untruth, a lie, a deception,clearly intended just to get a vote - one devoid of meaning.The vote is now a meaningless guess at the consequence!CAN DEMOCRACY BE BASED ON A GUESS?We should PROSECUTE and GAOL (mandatory, lengthy deterrent sentences required) ALL lying politicians in an effort to establish REAL DEMOCRACY IN AUSTRALIA.Who will LEGISLATE to ensure that we can vote for A TRUTH, A GENUINE POLICY? - and not just politicians' public lies!

Commenter

Atticusatlas

Date and time

May 17, 2014, 11:15AM

Rocco I heard Abbott talking on Insiders this morning and he explained the whole broken promises thing, apparently "people hear different things". So there you go, it's all the punters fault they are suffering from faulty hearing syndrome.

Commenter

comment

Date and time

May 18, 2014, 11:40AM

I must say I am amazed so many Australians are surprised the truth has surfaced abbott Abbott. He has been lying since day 1 of his career. As Leader of the Opposition his lies were calculated to do as much damage to members in power as possible, even destroying possibility the only environment minister we have ever had who gave a damn over what, shoddy labour. The list goes on and on. His lies and negativity destroyed several ministers, two prime ministers and a government all because he wanted to be the prime minister and even after being exposed he's still lying about the budget. Well if he's not lying then Shorten is. How about one of the many talented journalists who work for the SMH end it for by checking how the budget stood before Abbott lies finally destroyed Australia's first female prime minister so he could put us in the mess we are in now. Shame on you Abbott. Give me Julia any day. Looking to the future we have several options. We could leave Abbott (and possibly Howard as dictator) in power, we could have an election where we could vote for Malcolm Morebull who's bound to be his replacement, The Greens who's blueprint for the future looks pretty good if you saw her budget speech, we could vote for the man with the 'both sides are controlled by vested interests' spin, problem there is he IS the vested interest, we could vote for Shorten or perhaps a none of the above box on the ballot paper and vote them all out so we could start all over again.

Commenter

Ageinglocal

Date and time

May 19, 2014, 6:10AM

Two pieces of good news. 1. The government will save billions now that we don't need an Abbott proof fence. 2. He will have to wait 6 months before he can collect the dole.

15 May
Key elements of the Abbott government’s economic strategy have been thrown into chaos after Bill Shorten declared its first budget a document based on lies and committed the Labor opposition to combine with the Greens in the Senate to block them.

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